Ferrari confirmed the debut of their 458 Grand Am would happen at this year’s Daytona 24 Hours, set to begin on January 26th at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway. Derived from the GT3 variant of the 458, the Grand Am race car was developed in collaboration with Michelotto and aimed at the American series.

For the Daytona 24 Hours race, Ferrari has their version of a dream team as a crew. Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip will be alongside Travis Pastrana, and endurance race veterans Rui Aguas and Robert Kauffman. Hopefully Ferrari will have better luck than all those other “dream sports teams” like the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Heat. They’re clearly itching for a victory.

GALLERY: Ferrari 458 Grand Am

Underground Racing’s Ferrari 458 Italia has been twin-turbocharged and packs 700-whp. Lamborghini‘s Aventador LP700-4 delivers 700-hp from the factory, so obviously it makes perfect sense to pit the two Italian exotics against one another in one awesome video.

Though the “racing” in the video isn’t exactly perfect in terms of judging which vehicle is truly better or faster, it’s worth watching to hear the sonorous note of two if Italy’s finest exotics.

The 458 features Underground Racing’s Stage 1 bolt-on turbo kit taking the factory 562-hp to a 700-whp on 93-octane pump gas. If you’re not aware of just how big a difference there is between 700-hp and 700 horsepower at the wheels, this video should clear things up pretty fast.

Underground Racing has promised a rematch of the two in the near future, just as soon as it preps a twin-turbo setup for the Aventador’s V12.

Check out the video after the jump:

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It may be called Concorso Italiano, but it might as well be the Ferrari Festival with prancing horses from all decades the overwhelming exotic car of choice at the annual event. Held the past several years at the Laguna Seca Golf Course, we’ve snapped just a selection of the incredible machinery on display in the hopes of providing a glimpse into just how extravagant this event really is.

GALLERY: Ferraris of Concorso Italiano

Technology has significantly impacted the automotive sector especially when cars are produced in the factory. Computers and robotic platforms assemble engines and build the cars without much help from workers. However Ferrari has a different take on production, with their engines being entirely hand-built.

This video shows the buildup of a 458 Italia engine starting with assembling the crankshaft and ending with the installation of the cam covers. The 11 minute video is a walkthrough of the Maranello facility, with interviews from many members of the Ferrari team. Each of the workers explain their task to produce the 4.5-liter V8. It’s nice to see something made by hand for a change.

Check out the video after the jump!

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Ferrari announced today that the first six months of 2011 have been the best in the company’s history. The Italian automaker posted a record revenue of $1.1 billion for the first six months of this year and delivered a record 3,577 units or 11.8 percent more than the first half of 2010. Sales also increased in the U.S by 23.9 percent to 939. Chinese sales have increased 116 percent to 378 vehicles.

“These results come thanks to the success of the two 12-cylinder limited editions – the 599 GTO and the SA Aperta – and the strong performance of the 8-cylinder models with the California the standard-bearer in the GT sector and the 458 Italia the benchmark in the sports car area,” Ferrari said in a statement.

With the launch of the all-new Ferrari FF underway, the vehicle will most likely contribute to even better sales results in the next few months.

Based on the GT3 version of the V8-powered Ferrari, out-of-house tuner Michelotto has pulled the wraps off its Grand Am 458 as testing begins for the new race car at the Fiorano Circuit. The 458 Italia Grand Am will be the first factory-sanctioned Ferrari to compete in the GT Class of Grand-Am’s Rolex Sports Car Series.

The exotic race car will feature 500-hp with a redline of 8000 rpm and to help it conform to GT-class rules, Michelotto made the vehicle less aerodynamic and included a 48-mm restrictor compared to the GT3 version. ABS and traction control were removed from the race car while a full cage was built with NASCAR door bars. It will, of course, be racing on Continental tires, the Grand Am series tire sponsor.

GALLERY: Michelotto Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am

With Ferrari 458 Italia production in full swing, questions have been raised as to when the convertible top will be available and what it will look like.

In this new rendering of the convertible,the 458 takes on a look similar to the 360 Modena Spider, one of Ferrari’s most elegant designs. As for the convertibles official unveiling, it will likely take place at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show, meaning the drop top Spider will be available by next summer. But you better have your pennies saved, because the current coupe has a base price of $225,000 and the Spider will certainly be more expensive.

One of the “it” cars at the moment is the new Ferrari 458 Italia. All those who have been lucky enough to drive it say it is perhaps one of the best driving machines ever made.

However, those who prefer to drive topless (we mean, with the roof down) have been waiting for the Spider version. Now according to new rumors, Ferrari is working on the drop-top 458 and it will likely feature a folding hard-top.

This won’t be the first Ferrari to adopt a retracting hard-top, since this feature has been available on the current California model for a couple of years now. A 180-degree rotating roof was also offered on the 575 Super America model, which had a special glass roof.

As for this models official unveiling, it is suggested to be in Frankfurt this year. That means, you’ll be able to enjoy the magic of the 458 Spider by next summer. Better start saving up now because if the current coupe has a base price of $225,000; the convertible will certainly be more expensive.

[Source: Pistonheads]

The young and wealthy of New York gathered in the Park Avenue Ferrari showroom in Manhattan on Tuesday to ogle a new coffee-table book that traces the history and heritage of the automaker in words and exclusive photos. Marco Mattiacci, the president of Ferrari North America, was also there to greet the chic crowd, most of them current or prospective Ferrari owners.

The Official Ferrari Opus is not just any coffee-table book, especially the volume made with its red-leather cover featuring the brand’s prancing horse encrusted with diamonds. This edition retails for $250,000 while the cheaper model was priced at a more “reasonable” $3,200.

Mr. Mattiacci later explained, that the rapid growth of the Ferrari brand in China “We were selling 300 cars a year when I left,” he said. “It is now the second-largest market for Ferrari, and the average age of customers there is 32. In the U.S., it’s 47.” He also said that most sales in America were to repeat customers. “My job is to gain more opportunity in the U.S. for Ferrari,” The United States accounts for more than a quarter of Ferrari’s annual sales. Mattiacci said he has worked hard to attract growth among younger buyers, as he recently assembled a show-and-tell session in California to attract the sultans of Silicon Valley.

[Source: Wheels]

Modified Ferraris and Novitec Rosso almost go hand-in-hand, with the tuner constantly paving the way for new packages for Ferrari models. Their modifications are always within the spirit of the automobile, never straying away with aggressive body lines and sharp edges. In short, Novitec Rosso packages tend to accentuate the already existing platform rather than change it entirely. Case in point: This Ferrari 458 Italia built by Street Concepts Elite in Orange County, CA (Novitec Rosso’s Orange County dealer).

The jet black Ferrari 458 Italia is beautiful off the assembly line but with the aid of Novitec Rosso’s suite of parts, it’s now breathtaking. Possibly the best aero kit that’s available for the Italia, Novitec’s package mixes carbon fiber with subtle styling. In addition, Street Concepts Elite outfitted the Italia with Novitec’s stylish NF3 wheels. Up front is a 21×9-inch setup while the rear receives a larger and wider 22×12-inch pairing.

GALLERY: Street Concepts Elite Novitec Rosso Ferrari 458 Italia

[Source: Jon Sibal]